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	        <h1>Getting Started</h1>

            <p>StackHash is a client/server application that synchronizes products, events, hits and cabs from your WinQual 
            account to a local database and then helps you prioritize, analyze, fix and respond to crash and hang reports 
            for your Windows software.</p> 
            
            <p>If you're new to WinQual review our guide to the service: 
            <a href="http://www.stackhash.com/WinQual/" target="_blank">Getting Started With WinQual For Windows Error Reporting (WER)</a>. 
            This covers prerequisites for post-mortem crash dump analysis including setting up a symbol server, source indexing, 
            product mapping and debugger configuration. The guide also explains how to obtain and use a WinQual account.</p>
            
            <p>Email and telephone support is available at 
            <a href="http://www.stackhash.com/Support.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.stackhash.com/Support.aspx</a>. We're here to help. 
            Please get in touch if you have any questions or problems. To suggest and vote on new features visit our feedback forum at 
            <a href="http://feedback.stackhash.com/" target="_blank">http://feedback.stackhash.com/</a>.</p>
            
            <p>Get product updates, news and tips on StackHash, WinQual and WER by subscribing to our 
            <a href="http://www.stackhash.com/blog/" target="_blank">blog</a>, following 
            <a href="http://twitter.com/StackHash" target="_blank">@StackHash</a> on twitter and becoming a fan on 
            <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stack-Hash/315500797261" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Videos demonstrating various 
            capabilities of StackHash are available on our 
            <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/StackHashVideos" target="_blank">YouTube</a> channel.</p> 
            
            <p>If you're connecting to an existing StackHash install skip ahead to 
            <a href="#clienth2">StackHash Client</a> below.</p>
            
            <h2>StackHash Service</h2>
            
            <p><em>Supported Platforms: Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 SP2, Windows Server 2008 R2.</em></p>
            
            <p>To configure StackHash run the StackHash Client on the same computer as the StackHash Service. The first time you run 
            StackHash the <a href="setup.htm">Setup Wizard</a> will guide you through creating a <a href="how-to-profiles.htm">Profile</a>. 
            To edit, delete or add a profile use <a href="service-options.htm">Service Options</a> from the <em>Tools</em> menu.</p>
            
            <p>Before configuring StackHash for the first time we recommend installing the 
            <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/devtools/debugging/default.mspx" target="_blank">Debugging Tools for Windows</a> as the 
            <a href="how-to-scripting.htm">Scripting</a> feature of StackHash requires cdb.exe (the command line debugger installed with 
            the tools). On a 64-bit OS install both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the tools.</p>
            
            <p>StackHash stores WinQual data in a SQL Server 2005 or 2008 database. A folder is used to store downloaded cab files. 
            We recommend running a dedicated StackHash Server on a supported 64-bit OS which includes StackHash, the database and the cab 
            folder. It is also possible for each of these components to be on a different computer and to run the StackHash Service on a 
            32-bit OS.</p>
            
            <p>The StackHash Service is a Windows service that runs under the NETWORK SERVICE account by default. This means that NETWORK 
            SERVICE must have read/write permission to access the database and cab folder. You can use the Services control panel applet 
            to change the StackHash service account if necessary (this is not recommended, if you do change the account it must have 
            administrator privileges).</p>
            
            <p>There are three database configuration options for the StackHash Service:</p>
            
            <ol>
                <li>During configuration StackHash can download and install SQL Server 2008 R2 Express Edition with the recommended settings. 
                This is the easiest way to get started with StackHash.</li>
            
                <li>You can create a new database for StackHash on an existing local install of SQL Server 2005 or 2008. In this case the 
                StackHash Service account, NETWORK SERVICE by default, must be granted the sysadmin role for the database.</li>
                
                <li>You can create a new database for StackHash on a remote install of SQL Server 2005 or 2008. SQL scripts to create and 
                upgrade the StackHash database are installed with the product.</li>
            </ol>

            <p>See <a href="database-configuration.htm">StackHash Database Configuration Tool</a> for detailed instructions if you're 
            planning to use an existing local or remote install of SQL Server.</p>
            
            <p>To help you comply with the WinQual terms and conditions the StackHash Service periodically purges old cab files while retaining 
            product, event and hit data. The default retention policy for cab files is 180 days. The WinQual site only stores data for 90 days 
            so over time StackHash will provide a valuable archive of historical crash data that allows you to compare product quality between 
            releases.</p> 
            
            <p>The StackHash Service uses the 
            <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=9BA199EF-3086-4F12-970D-8745BE104600&displaylang=en" target="_blank">Windows Live Sign-In Assistant</a>
            to access WinQual. The StackHash installer will prompt you if this component is missing. If you skipped this step synchronization 
            will fail with a message asking you to install it.</p>

            <h2 id="clienth2">StackHash Client</h2>
            
            <p><em>Supported Platforms: Windows XP SP3, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008.</em></p>
            
            <p>When you run the StackHash Client for the first time the <a href="setup.htm">Setup Wizard</a> will guide you through connecting 
            to the StackHash Service and choosing a <a href="how-to-profiles.htm">Profile</a> to work with. You can change the connection and 
            profile later using <a href="client-options.htm">Client Options</a> from the <em>Tools</em> menu.</p>
            
            <p>StackHash uses Windows authentication to connect to the StackHash Service. In a workgroup environment you have two authentication 
            options:</p>
            
            <ol>
                <li>Create an account on the computer running the StackHash Service for each computer running the StackHash Client. 
                The username and password for each account must match exactly.</li>

                <li>Create one account on the computer running the StackHash Service to use for client connections. Enter the account 
                details in <a href="service-credentials.htm">Service Credentials</a> (on the first page of the 
                <a href="setup.htm">Setup Wizard</a> or in <a href="client-options.htm">Client Options</a>) on each StackHash Client.</li>
            </ol>

            <p>If you are attempting to connect via a Firewall or NAT note that the port forwarded to the StackHash Service must not be changed. 
            For example a mapping of firewall.mycorp.com:9000 to stackhashhost:9000 will work (assuming that you are using the default StackHash 
            Service port). firewall.mycorp.corp:1234 to stackhashhost:9000 will not work.</p>

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